Wrench.



' 'PATBNTED JUNE 1a, 1901'. o. MOP. HANSPORD.

WRENGH. APPLICATION FILED JULY 2, 190a.

shank and fixed-j aw in elevation.

Y wrench handle.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OTIS MGPHERSON HAN SFORD, OF AMERIOUS, GEORGIA;

WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. June 18,1907.

Application filed July 2,1906. Serial No. 324,522.

T at whom/it may concern:

Be it known that I, Oris MOPHERSON HANsFORD, a citizen of the UnitedStates, re-

use the same.

The object of this invention is to improve the construction, increasethe efficiency, and simplify the operation of that type of wrencheshaving a sliding adjustment of the movable jaw regulated by a rack andpiv oted catch, and having also a supplemental screw adjustment foreffecting a fine adjust ment of the wrench-jaws in addition to the mainadjustment afforded by the rack and catch.

A wrench embodying my invention is illus trated in the accompanyingdrawings, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section of said wrench, showing thewrench-bar or Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is avertical section on line 3 -3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail perspectiveof the pivoted catch. Fig. 5 is a bottom. plan view of the slidingjaw-frame. Fig. 6 is an end view of the Fig. 7 is a detail view of anon-rotatable screw incorporated in the jawframe.

Referring to said drawings by reference numerals, 1 designates thewrench-bar or shank, carrying at its end the fiXed-jaw 2,

- and having slidably-fitted thereon the coacting movable jaw 3. Saidmovable jaw 3 is an integral part of a solid jaw-frame 4, which latteris slidably fitted. on the shank or wrench-bar l, affording an adequatebearing for the slidingj aw 3, so that the latter is al ways held inproper relation to the fiXedj aw and in rigid engagement with the nut orother object to which the wrench is applied. It will be noted byreference to Figs. 2 and 5 that the sliding-j aw 3 is of greater width,or of a larger amount of metal, than the remaining portion of thejaw-frame 4, since it is desirable to construct the jaw-frame with assmall an amount of stock or metalaspracticable, while at the same timeproviding a larger amount of stock for the sliding-jaw, to make the samesufiiciently strong and rigid.

The shank or wrench-bar 1 is provided on its upper side with a rack 5,the teeth of which are inclined forwardly or toward the direction of thefixed-jaw 2. The teeth of said rack 5 extend preferably from the handleof the wrench to a sufficient length along the wrench-bar or shank toallow the jaws of the wrench to be closed together and the sliding-j awto be secured by the catch engaging with said rack.

In a socket 6 of the jaw-frame 4 is a pivoted catch 7, consisting of astout block of metal having on its bottom face a plurality of teeth,preferably four in number, which are formed to engage with the teeth ofthe rack 5. Said catch 7 is pivoted on the transverse pin 8, which isentered through slots 9 in'the sides of the jaw-frame 4 and is driventightly through a hole in the catch 7, so as to prevent said pin 8 frompulling out. It will be'observed that the pin 8 is located near thefront lower corner of the catch 7. The rear end of said catch 7 mayextend out at the mouth of the socket 6, and is provided with afinger-piece 10 for conveniently manipu-' lating the catch. Said catchis normally held' in engagement with the rack 5 by means of a suitablespring 11, a spiral spring being shown in this instance. Said spring 11is shown seated in a socket inthe top of the catch 7, behind thepivot-pin 8, and

bears between the top of socket 6 and the said catch 7, forcing it inengagement with the rack. Said spring is preferably located directly orsubstantially directly over the teeth of the catch, so as to eXert thepower for holding the catch in engagement directly over its teeth.

In front of the socket 6, a longitudinal bore 12 is formed in thejaw-frame 4, and in said bore is a non-rotatable screw 13, which screwis shown held against rotation by means of a pin or dowel 14 insertedthrough the top of the jaw-frame 4 and engaging a longitudinal slot 15inthe screw. On the said screw 13 is a nut 16, which nut is arrangedclosely between the faces or sides of a be sufficient.

slot 17 cut in the jaw-frame 4, so that the nut may be readily engagedby the fingers, it being observed by reference to Figs. 2 and 3 that thenut projects out around the jawframe 4 to afford ready engagement by thefingers or by the thumb and forefinger of the operators hand. Theexterior of said nut is preferably milled or roughened to facilitatesuch engagement and manipulation of the nut. The rear end of thenon-rotatable screw 13 abuts against the catch 7, above the pivot-pin 8thereof, and in view of the fact that saidpivot-pin 8 extends throughthe slots 9 in the jaw-frame 4, the effect of turning the nut 16 is tomove the j aw-frame 4 with the sliding jaw 3 carried thereby the limitsallowed by the length of the said slots 9. This provides a means forfine adjustment of the wrench in addition to the main adjustmentafiorded by the sliding jaw frame and its rack and pivoted catchengagement. Furthermore, in view of the fact that the end of screw 13bears against the catch above the pivot 8 thereof, it is obvious thatupon turning the nut 16 to obtain 'a fine adjustment after having movedthe sliding jaw along the shank, the pressure transmitted by the screw13 against the catch 7 will tend to hold the teeth of said catch 7 allthe more forcibly in engagement with the teeth of rack 5. j

The operation will be apparent from the foregoing description, taken inconnection with the drawings. For ordinary purposes, the slidingadjustment of the fixed-jaw 3, regulated by the rack 5 and catch 7,would To adjust the wrench, as in case of engaging a nut or otherobject, the operator holding the handle of the wrench can simply pushforward the j aw-frame 4 with his thumb, or in such other manner as maybe expedient, the catch 7 riding forwardly over the teeth of the rack,and engaging therewith as soonas the jaw-frame is released. But if afiner adjustment should be needed, it is simply necessary to turn thenut 16, which engages the non-rotatable screw 13, and the effect ofturning said nut will be to move the entire jaw-frame 4 with the movablejaw 3 forwardly. To move back the sliding jaw 3, the catch 7 may bereleased or disengaged from the rack 5 by means of the finger-piece 10,and the jaw-frame 4 can be pulled back.

It will be observed that the mechanism of the wrench is exceedinglysimple, strong and compact, and the operation is very convenient. Also,the sliding jaw 3 is strong and solid, and pressure transmitted throughthe jaw-frame 4 bears directly on the nut 16, screw 13 and catch 7, allof which parts are strong and solid and hold the sliding jaw in rigidengagement with the nut or other obj ect to which the wrench may beapplied.

In regard to the handle, as a preferred con struction, the handle 18 isclosely fitted on a tapered extension 19 of the wrench-bar or shank 1,the bore in the handle 18 being correspondingly tapered interiorly inorder to provide a close fit or bearing for the entire length of thepart 19,whichtends to strengthen the handle. The handle is securedbetween a ferrule 20 fitted over the end thereof adjacent to the shank1, and a nut 21 screwed on the end of the tapered part 19 and having aflange 22 overlying the reduced end of the handle, which constructionavoids splitting or breaking.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentof theUnited States:

1. Awrench comprising a shank or wrenchbar carrying a fixed-jaw, saidshank having a longitudinal rack, a movable jaw-frame carrying acoacting movable jaw, said jawframe being slidably fitted on the shankor wrench-bar, a pivoted catch arranged in a socket in the jaw-frame andengaging said rack, and auznliary adjusting means for effecting a fineadjustment, said auxiliary ad justing means being adjustably connectedwith the jaw-frame and bearing rearwardly against said catch but notpositively connected thereto and adapted when manipulated to effect aforward movement of the jaw-frame and movable jaw.

2. Awrench comprising a shank or Wrenchbar carrying a fixed jaw andhaving a longi tudinal rack, a jaw-frame slidably-fitted on said shankand having a coacting movable jaw, a pivoted catch arranged in a socketin the aw-frame and engaging said rack, a nonrotatable screw in saidjaw-frame bearing against said catch, and .a nut engaging saidnon-rotatable screw, said nut having an exposed periphery for engagementby the fingers and being fitted between the confronting walls of a slotor opening in the jawframe, and the pivot of said catch having slottedconnections with the jaw-frame.

3. A wrench comprising a shank carrying a fixed jaw, a movable jaw-frame slidablyfitted on said shank and carrying a coacting movablejaw, a catch arranged in a socket in said jaw-frame and having teeth,which engage said rack, said catch having a pivot pin with projectingends fitted in slots in the awframe, a non-rotatable screwv in thejawframe ,bearing against said catch above its pivot, and a nut on saidscrew, said nut having an exposed periphery and being fitted between,the confronting faces of a slot or opening in the j aw-frame.

4. A wrench comprising a shank or wrenchbar carrying a fixed jaw andhaving a longitudinal rack, a jaw-frame slidably-fitted on connectedtherewith and arranged forwardly said shank and having a coactingrnovable of said block and bearing thereagainst. I0

aw, a catch cons sting of a block plvotally In testimony whereof I afiixmy signature, arranged in a socket in said jaw-frame and in presence oftwo Witnesses.

OTIS MOPHERSON HAN SFORD.

otal connection between said block and jaw- WVitnesses: frame beingslightly adjustable, and an ad- GEORGE M. RODGERS, justing-screw forsaid jaw-frame operatively LEE M. HANSFORD

